Newsletter

Topeka community centers set to get new computers by May

Library expected to start installations April 15

New computers are on schedule to be up and running in Topeka’s six community centers by the end of April.

The Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library expects to begin installing the computers on April 15 and finish about two weeks later, community services manager Thad Hartman told the library board Thursday. It is planning an open house for May 15 at the Central Park Community Center, near Washburn University and the Kansas Expocentre.

Centers getting new computers this year include Central Park, which will have five computers; Rice, which will have three; Garfield, which will have six; Oakland, which will have six; Crestview, which will have eight; and Hill Crest, which will have six.

The library purchased 36 computers and six printers this year. Next year, it plans to install computers at the Shawnee North and Velma K. Paris community centers. Those locations, which are located in Shawnee County, had to wait because they currently don’t have connections to broadband, Hartman said.

The library and the Shawnee County Parks and Recreation Department teamed up on the effort to replace the centers’ aging computers. In the agreement, the library pledged to cover the costs of all the hardware and software — amounting to $45,602 from the library’s general fund. The library also will hire a full-time technician, who will service the labs part time. County parks and recreation will pay for the other half of the salary.

The computers will have basic functionality, including Internet and Microsoft and resume-building software.

Although the computers won’t require a library card for access, Hartman said, the library will incentivise it. People with library cards will be allowed one hour on computers, while those without will have 30 minutes. He said people will be able to obtain library cards at the community centers.

The library board Thursday also learned it is close to having enough money to purchase two new bookmobiles.

Library Foundation chairwoman Jeanne Slusher informed the board it had raised enough money to cover one bookmobile and another $78,000 toward the other. Combined, the bookmobiles are expected to cost $530,000.

The library expects to purchase one bookmobile this year and one next year. Its current bookmobiles are 16 and 19 years old.

The board also learned of an expected $5,000 investment toward digital magazines that would be available to library card holders at no cost through a mobile application called Zinio. The self-described “world’s largest digital newsstand,” offers digital copies of nearly 1,000 magazine titles. It works on Apple, Android, and Kindle Fire devices and allows customers to virtually flip through pages.

The library still is working out some kinks, but it intends for the application to be available remotely soon. Once it is working, people can log in using their library card information to access to the library’s purchased magazines.